Street art by an unknown artist on the side of an abandoned house in Doel. The 700-year-old village is wedged between a nuclear power station and the ever-expanding port of Antwerp. Photograph: Randi Sokoloff for the Guardian

A street sign stating that the village of Doel is inhabited and to respect the residents: those entering houses, causing damage or performing vandalism will be fined. Photograph: Randi Sokoloff for the Guardian

Many villagers left Doel in the late 1990s when the regional government outlined plans to expand the port and residents were offered premiums to sell their homes. The population has dwindled from 1,300 to a mere 25, who refuse to leave. Photograph: Randi Sokoloff for the Guardian

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Giovanna Dunmall: How did a 400-year-old Belgian village now threatened with demolition become a magnet for the world's best street artists? Doel's last 25 residents explain why they're fighting for their extraordinary town